Processes for resolution-racemization of pheny glycine are known (Clark et al, J. C. S. Perkin I, 475-481, 1976). However, the known processes require stoichiometric amounts of both a weak, chiral acid and an aromatic aldehyde, which severely limits the processes to applications involving amines considered capable of forming tartrate salts.
It was therefore an object of this invention to develop an economical, one-pot process for the resolution-racemization of weakly-to-moderately basic organic amines containing .alpha.-hydrogens employing only a catalytic amount an aldehyde. It was a further object of this invention to develop an efficient process for the preparation and isolation of the optically-pure desired isomer of a chiral sulfonic acid salt.